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Pristine sound from a powerful in-ear headphone

You may not think earbuds are capable of generating deep, high-impact bass. And if they are, you may think it's at the expense of crisp, clear highs and smooth mids. Sony blows the doors off those assumptions with the iPod®- and iPhone®-compatible XBA-4iP, a comfortable in-ear headphone that will give your music the audiophile treatment it deserves.

Four balanced armature drivers produce a detailedresponse across the frequency spectrum.

The power of four balanced armature drivers

Each of the XBA-4iP's earbuds houses four drivers: a full-range driver for overall balance, a tweeter for sparkling high frequencies, a woofer to beef up the low end, and a super woofer to handle that deep, rumbling bass that most headphones simply can't reproduce. How does Sony fit all four drivers into such a small headphone? By using balanced armature technology. Unlike dynamic drivers in typical headphones, the XBA-4iP's drivers employ a pivoting magnetic arm to generate crystal-clear sound. All four drivers work together to bring out subtle nuances in your music and deliver an outstanding listening experience.

Great sound that fits

Think four drivers means a bulky headphone? Not with balanced armature drivers. Each of the XBA-4iP's micro drivers are fine-tuned by Sony engineers to ensure that small size equals robust sound, while fitting comfortably in your ear. The drivers are housed in a double-layer encasement, minimizing vibrations for purer sound. An assortment of interchangeable ear tips ensures a snug fit that keeps noise out and your music in.

Remotely control your iPod or iPhone

Control your iPod or iPhone without even touching it. The XBA-4iP's cord features a built-in remote, giving you easy volume and track control. The remote's built-in microphone lets you seamlessly make and answer calls while your iPhone remains safely nestled in your pocket or bag. The remote also supports Apple VoiceOver, allowing compatible iPods to tell you title and artist info for the current track.

Noise Isolation Design: Because Balanced Armature drivers sport an
ultra compact design for a smaller overall form factor, they slip easily inside
the ear for a snug, more natural-feeling fit. The result is reduced ambient
noise and limited sound leakage.

In-Line Remote + Mic: The in-line remote gives you volume and track controls
(Play, Stop, Next/Previous) for your iPod, iPhone, or iPad; and the built-in
microphone makes it easy to take calls from your iPhone. A simple press of a button activates VoiceOver
mode, allowing your Apple device to state the name of the currently playing song
or playlist. Apple device compatibility as of 8/16/2012:

iPod Model

Generation

Tested Version

Audio Output

In-Line Remote

In-Line Mic

3.5mm
Connector

Audio
Playback

Playback
Controls

VoiceOver

Answer/End Call

Voice Control

Hands-Free Communication

Shuffle

1st

n/a

Y

Y

N

N

N

N

N

2nd

n/a

Y

Y

N

N

N

N

N

3rd

n/a

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

N

N

4th

n/a

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

N

N

dock connector

3rd

2.0.2

Y

Y

N

N

N

N

N

clickwheel
color

4th

3.1.1

Y

Y

N

N

N

N

N

mini

1st

1.4.1

Y

Y

N

N

N

N

N

2nd

1.4.1

Y

Y

N

N

N

N

N

video

5th

1.3

Y

Y

N

N

N

N

N

classic

80GB

1.1.2

Y

Y

N

N

N

N

N

120GB

2.0.1

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

N

160GB

2.0.4

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

N

nano

1st

1.3.1

Y

Y

N

N

N

N

N

2nd

1.1.3

Y

Y

N

N

N

N

N

3rd

1.1.3

Y

Y

N

N

N

N

N

4th

1.0.4

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

N

5th

1.0.2

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

N

6th

1.1 PC

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

N

touch

1st

2.2.1

Y

Y

N

N

N

N

N

2nd

4.2.1

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

N

3rd

5.0.1

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

N

4th

5.1.1

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

N

iPhone

2G

3.1.3

Y

Y

N

N

N

N

N

3G

4.2.1

Y

Y

N

N

N

N

N

3GS

4.3.5

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

4

5.1.1

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

4S

5.1.1

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

iPhone

1

5.1.1

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

N

2

5.1.1

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

N

Note: Apple iPod/iPhone software updates may change
functionality results. If you download a newer software version, you may
need to reset your iPod/iPhone to regain functionality. If this doesn't
work, you may need to wait until a newer software update is available.

Headphone Cable w/ 3.5mm Connector: The Sony XBA-3iP in-ear headphones
feature an attached 48" audio cable terminated by a right-angle 3.5mm connector.
An included clothing clip and cord adjuster help prevent the cable from moving
around too much and tangling up.

Carrying Case: The Sony XBA-3iP comes with hard carrying
case to
store and transport the headphones.

Our Product Research Team

At Crutchfield, you'll get detailed, accurate information that's hard to
find elsewhere. That's because we have our own in-house Product Research
team. They verify what’s in the box, check the owner's manual, and record
dimensions, features and specs. We stay on top of new products and technologies
to help people make informed choices.

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By checking this box you agree your review becomes the property of Crutchfield,
that you are over 18 years of age, that you own or have owned this product, and
that you are located within the United States or its territories. Please see our
Review Guidelines for more information. We reserve the right (but are not
obligated to) review all submissions and edit or remove any review in any manner
which we deem necessary. Your review should be posted within seven days.

Nice engineering - Worth the price?

Am trying these out and comparing to Sony MDR-EX51's that are about 8 years old. They sound very close to the old $40 pair, but are just a couple of db's louder on source material. Using an old Panasonic portable CD player, New ipad and iphone with iTunes. They are very close in how they sound, so I don't know if I can really justify the pricetag even though I got them on sale. My main concern is the durability. The cord seems to be pretty thin, but about the same as the old 51's and the 51's have held up for me. I try to take care of my stuff.... If I don't keep them, the only real item I would be missing is the remote controller for volume, changing songs, etc. Not really a deal breaker since I can live with the sound of the old 51's. Wondering if I could get away with getting the 2-driver set for less??

Product reviews from the Crutchfield Labs

Balanced sound

I tried these out in the Crutchfield Labs with our test iPhone®. The inline controls are really high up the cord, only a few inches from the earbud. That's an advantage for the built-in microphone, as it placed the controls just a little below my mouth. The raised symbols made them easy to operate by feel. And given the location of the controller, that's vital as they weren't readily in my line of sight.

The sound was most impressive. I seldom use the term "expansive" with in-ear headphones, but that term applies here. Perhaps it's the separate drivers, but I heard a lot of fine detail and nuances in my audition music. Bass wasn't especially deep, but it was present and appropriate for the mix. If you listen to jazz, classical, world music, or folk (in other words, acoustic as opposed to electronic music), then these headphones would be a great choice.